Continuing the theme of my previous post, here are more of the most common questions I hear from students. 6.How long should I practice? Well, as long and as often as you can! Always remember that in the purest sense, playing the guitar is a form of exercise and like any exercise, doing a moderate amount on a frequent basis is much more effective than trying to do a lot on an infrequent basis. With adult students I hardly ever see cases of slacking off from practice for no good reason, which can be a problem with younger students. The problem for adults is more a question of available time. None of us have enough of that! If possible, try to set a regular time each day to devote to practice. This will keep it in the forefront of your mind, priority-wise. Although the actual amount of time per practice session will vary, I encourage my students to put in at least a half-hour per day; more is better of course. Some adult students whose schedule allows find that playing for 15 or 20 minutes a couple times a day is much more effective and productive than trying to put in a half hour once a day. 7.Is it OK if I try some songs I find on guitar web sites? Absolutely! I firmly believe that if a student is playing (just about anything) it can only help their playing overall. Practicing what I give for a weekly lesson is required but hey, there’s no harm in doing exploring! There is an absolute wealth of music out there in cyberspace and from my perspective as a guitar teacher, students who find examples of songs they like and then try to play them actually makes my job easier. This is because trying songs on their own always inspires students to ask important questions about technique and song construction. Just keep in mind that there is wide variation in the accuracy of the music you’ll find online. But we can fix that – ha! 8. I really only like/listen to one kind of music and that’s all I’m interested in playing. How soon can we get into that? One of the reasons I don’t use any single guitar method is that I try very hard to get my students into the type of music they like as soon as possible. I use pieces of many different established methods because there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” guitar course. However, it’s important to remember that ALL music has some very basic concepts that must be addressed before you can play like your favorite performers, things like keeping a steady beat and hearing what’s right (and wrong) with your playing. The first thing I work on with all my students, regardless of their experience are rhythmic concepts. Without the ability to keep a steady beat, even the simplest songs will not be satisfying. Don’t worry though – I can use just about any type of music to demonstrate these concepts. So we most definitely will use songs you know and like to conquer these things. I carefully plan each and every lesson for every student. I want you to enjoy what you’re practicing. All I ask is that students keep an open mind. In almost every case, students’ tastes in music change as they progress. Discovering new music and artists is one of the joys of playing the guitar. 9.Are there any devices I can use to strengthen my hands when I can’t be playing? I hear this one more often than you might imagine. Some players have reported success with using a small playground ball known as a “Pinkie.” These small balls are made of a foam rubber type material and are about the size of a tennis ball but have more “give” than one of those, so it’s fairly easy to squeeze and release them. There are also a number of devices marketed for guitarists for strengthening purposes, which have small push pads and springs that offer resistance when pressed down. I’m not sure if they work as I’ve never tried one. The fact is, nothing exactly replicates actually pressing down on the strings so I tell my students that playing is best exercise when you come right down to it. But a Pinkie or one of those exercise contraptions probably can’t hurt, so if you’re inclined to get one and use it while you’re watching TV, go for it. 10.I’ve been playing a while and I can play some songs but I wan to take things to the next level. What’s the best way to do that? Many answers here, but I think the single best thing you can do to advance is make the effort to play with others. Making your playing match what another player is doing is the best way I know to advance your progress. Forcing yourself to listen to what others are playing while you also listen to your own playing hones your rhythmic sense and awareness of tonality. Plus – and this is the most important thing – it’s fun!! And isn’t that what you were hoping for when you decided to play in the first place? Peace & good music, Gene

I love questions from students! It means they are thinking about their playing and how to get better. Here are the most common ones I’ve heard over the many years I’ve been teaching guitar.1.How long will it take me to learn to play? This is the most common question and frankly, the most difficult to answer. There are just too many variables. It begins with the amount of time a student can commit to practicing. It might seem obvious that the more time that is spent the faster someone will get where they want to go – but there are some caveats. Focusing on good technique rather than just simple repetition is essential. But the short answer is: someone who’s practicing every day (or, say, five days out of every seven) should be able to strum out simple changes or play a basic single note melody in about a month, give or take a week or so. Just remember that we all learn at different rates and also remember that the first month is the most difficult period of time. It DOES get easier!2.Why does it hurt so much to press down on the strings? Remember that there is nothing in every day life that prepares us for playing a stringed instrument. None of us routinely arch our fingers and press down on sharp objects with our fingertips as hard as we can! Not only do calluses have to develop on our fingertips, but individual finger strength has to develop. This just takes some time and I always remind my beginner students that a 3-year old can make a piano sound like a piano, although no one would claim they are “making music.” Not so on the guitar. It takes some time to even make a reasonably musical sound on a guitar. Unfortunately, pain is involved. The good news is that the pain WILL lessen over time. Trust me on this.3.It’s so hard to change chords quickly! Why can’t I get from one place to the next without stopping? The first step is memorizing the correct placement of the fingers for individual chords, but of greater importance is anticipating the changes. Always think ahead. As soon as you make a change, read and think ahead to the next chord. Look at your chording hand and imagine where the fingers will be going. All good guitarists do this. Sure, there will come a time when muscle memory takes over and you don’t have to look at that hand, but watch great guitarists closely and you will see they spend most of the time looking at the chording hand (assuming they are not reading printed music). But I promise they are not really looking at what they’re playing beyond simple checking of finger placement – they are imagining where their fingers will go next. This is absolutely essential for rapid movement without stopping and breaking the beat.4.When should I change my strings? A great question. Fresh, new strings make any guitar sound better but the problem is strings go “dead” gradually. If you have sweaty hands they will lose their resonance and tone very quickly. Why does this matter? Because you want your guitar to sound as good as it can and the bonus is that a crisp, resonant guitar is more pleasurable to play, inspiring you to play more, which makes you a better player. But of course, if you play more, those strings will go dead faster. A conundrum, for sure! If I was pinned down, I guess I would say – assuming you play just about every day and your hands stay reasonably dry when you play, change them about every three months. I change mine about every two months but in the summer when it’s hot and humid here on Cape Cod I do it more often. The good part about changing strings is that it’s a relatively inexpensive proposition. New string sets from various manufacturers usually cost about $10 or so. This is a small price to pay to keep your guitar in top condition, sound-wise. The latest generation of coated strings do last longer but some people (myself included) don’t like the tonality of them, as they tend to be just too bright. But that’s just me…. You may like them just fine and they do last longer. Your choice. But do change your strings!5.Is my guitar OK? Why does yours sound so much better than mine? Another great question but a tough one and I have to be diplomatic about this. As I said in a recent post, we are in a golden age of acoustic guitars right now. There are dozens of reasonably priced imported guitars out there that sound and play great. Unfortunately, there are also quite a few that are not so good but look virtually the same as very expensive models. The guitars marketed by a certain player with a Spanish sounding name who seems to live on late night television info-mercials is a prime example of the latter. Or put another way, there are many reasons why some guitars cost $2000 and some cost $200, even though they look the same to an inexperienced player. The bottom line for me when a student asks this is not so much a question of dollars spent but whether, in my opinion, that guitar they’re trying to learn on is impeding their progress. If that is the case I will tell them as gently as I can that they should think about an upgrade is they are serious about learning to play. More common questions and my answers in the next post. Peace & good music, Gene

I try my best to stay on top of advances in the world of guitars and I’m always looking for ways to advance my teaching and my students’ learning experiences. Here are a few observations in no particular order. Guitarists today have almost unlimited access to all aspects of playing and learning thanks to online resources. But as with everything you read online, information must be filtered and taken with a very large grain of salt. There are hundreds of sites offering song lyrics, chord sequences, artist overviews and so much more. In most cases you can get at least a basic idea of how to play a song. This is great but always remember the interpretations you find may or may not be accurate. I remember the days a decade or so ago when music publishers were very upset (they probably still are!) that music owned by an artist was becoming available for free and they went to some effort to curb the practice. But they rapidly realized there was really no way to stop file sharing. My own theory about this is that they also soon realized that some of the information being disseminated was at least partially inaccurate, incomplete or downright incorrect. So perhaps they thought – well, maybe if people really care about getting that song RIGHT, they would be willing to pay for it, so they began licensing sheet music to independent vendors, something that was unheard of when actual printed sheet music was the only way to get the “right” music.I sometimes use some of these services to download sheet music that I print and use with students. It is very helpful and way better than going to a music store in hopes of finding the music. So it’s a win for everyone. Equipment and gear:I firmly believe that we are in something of a “golden age” of guitars right now. There are dozens of options for the beginner when it comes to buying a new guitar, one that will carry them well into the intermediate level of playing or even beyond. Many of the guitars being made in China are fine instruments. I recently picked up the Sigma line, formerly a subsidiary of Martin but now owned by the parent company of Alvarez. These are absolutely remarkable guitars in every way and quite affordable. Back in the day, the only options for a beginner were some sorry specimens from companies like Stella and Kay and they were mostly junk, almost unplayable in some cases. Now beginners do not need to struggle with brutally high action, terrible intonation and sound that was roughly equivalent to what would be produced by a cigar box with strings. This I think has pushed the premier American companies into producing even better high end instruments while at the same time making them come up with lower end models that compete quite favorably with the higher end Chinese guitars. Both Martin and Taylor have factories in Mexico that are making some very nice guitars, although in most cases they are made with laminate backs, sides and necks. But add a solid top and close attention to detail, plus the value of having Martin or Taylor names on the headstock and it appears those guitars are selling very well. Accessories have come a long, long way too. Most younger players cannot imagine being without a digital tuner and as with most electronics these days, the variety is increasing all the time while the cost, accuracy and ease of use has improved radically in the last ten years. My first digital tuner, purchased in the late 1980s if I recall, cost something like $90 and was difficult to use and had suspect accuracy. Now I just clip on my little Snark SN-1 (cost: about $15) and I can quickly tune up, without the need to plug in or try to balance the thing on my knee so the device can “hear” my guitar. It is dead-on accurate and fast. There is no excuse for ANY guitarist to inflict an out-of-tune guitar on his audience anymore! Capos, strings, straps, humidifiers, picks…. The options are many and all of them can be easily found on hundreds of websites. It’s fun to try out the latest/greatest accessories and I know my own playing is better for trying some of these things. And finally, the most important aspect of the guitar renaissance is the almost limitless dissemination of information. I look at sites like The Acoustic Guitar Forum and The Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum just about every day and always find something interesting and informative. I don’t always agree with what’s said – welcome to internet forums! – but I’ve been made aware of players, music and equipment I would never have found on my own. Plus, posing a question about things like technique, recording, maintenance/repair or just about anything guitar related will bring almost instant responses. Yes, we are in a golden age of guitar playing. I can’t wait to see what will come next. I just hope I can keep up! Peace & good music, Gene

Well, it’s Friday so time for my usual end of the week random bits. Also as usual, I will be doing my regular Saturday morning gig tomorrow at the wonderful Daily Brew café in Cataumet. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been there pretty regularly for almost four years. It was a gig I kind of fell into – my friend Dave Peros and I were having coffee there one morning and he called the owner over to the table and convinced her she should have me play. At that time I was just beginning to explore doing all-instrumental gigs, something I’d wanted to do for a long time. I do sing (I was a voice major in college, for what that’s worth… not much if the truth be known!) but I felt it was time to challenge myself with learning a variety of tunes that incorporated bass lines, chord comps and the melody. I now have a nice little bunch of tunes with my own arrangements and while some of them are relatively easy, some require my complete attention and quite frankly I never really know when I launch into those just what will happen. I love it!! The upshot is that my playing is probably better than it’s ever been, which is gratifying. Plus, having a regular gig inspires me to learn new songs and I’ve gotten to know most of the regulars at the Brew, some of whom have become friends and others have decided to take lessons. I sell a few of my CDs from time to time too, a nice little bonus. I hope my time at the Brew continues and I am sincerely grateful to owner Kathy Hickey for keeping me on board for all this time. Having said that, I’ve been feeling the need to get back to some singing and I’m still actively seeking a playing partner for other gigs. This might be easy in a more metropolitan area but here on ol’ Cape Cod it’s a bit of a challenge. Yes, there are players around but I’ve gotten kind of picky (cranky?) about the music I want to put in the effort to rehearse and play. My ideal playing partner would have reasonably decent chops (both rhythm and lead) on guitar and/or perhaps mandolin, bass, ukulele, keys, whatever. He or she would need to sing of course but I don’t expect the next American Idol. Professional experience would be nice but is less important than enthusiasm and empathy. Guitar Heroes need not apply! An interest in and knowledge of swing jazz, blues, country, singer/songwriter material, bossa nova, or any combination of those things is required. Finding the balance between jamming and focused rehearsal is also very, very important. So – are you out there?? My quest over the next couple of months is to delve into the world of computer based recording. My first three CDs were done on my Tascam DP-04 and while the results were satisfactory, it’s become apparent that using some decent recording programs and my computer may be a better option. Another aspect of that is moving into cloud storage of my students’ weekly practice material. I now use a portable CD recorder to make recordings of what each student will be practicing but that technology is rapidly disappearing. I’m a bit concerned that some of my older students will be somewhat challenged by retrieving their lesson music electronically but it’s looking more and more like this technology will offer many more options, things like the students playing along and recording their efforts for review – and the option of then forwarding their efforts to me so we can examine them and work on the songs. On a related subject, I am going to download a program called The Amazing Slow Downer, which purportedly allows you to isolate parts of songs (or the entire song) and then play it back as slowly as 20% of its normal speed – without changing the pitch. I think this will be hugely helpful when I want to learn a particularly challenging solo or chord sequence. Very psyched to work with this program and I will post the results in this space in future entries. Finally…. I made a totally silly purchase this week, a brand new Martin 000-18. Martin has redesigned this long-standing model with scalloped braces, bone nut and saddle and a 1 ¾” nut width. One of my students recently purchased the similarly redesigned D-18 and it impressed me so much that I thought I’d try out the 000-18, a model I’ve always liked. It is gorgeous and although it needs some playing time to “open up” it already sounds great. I will have my favorite guitar tech, Fran Ledoux of Bay Fretted Instruments install a K&K pick-up and will put the new 000-18 through its paces at my Brew gig. It joins my stable of a Martin M-36 and a Gibson J-15, both of which are different in many ways but equally great guitars. We all love new toys, right? Peace & good music, Gene

“Art is pain. We must suffer to create.” I read that somewhere many years ago. I think it was attributed to Michelangelo. If so, after he spent so long lying on his back painting the Sistine Chapel (which I saw not long ago) I guess he had a point! On a much, much smaller scale, we guitarists have to deal with pain just about from the first moment we pick up our instruments. It’s standard operating procedure, unfortunately, and every single student I’ve ever had complains about some sort of physical misery related to playing. The trick is learning how to deal with it. I can’t think of anything that prepares you for playing the guitar. None of us press down on sharp objects with the tips of our fingers on a regular basis, so those tender fingertips cry out for mercy. OK, and here’s the bad news: it never goes away! The best we can hope for is learning how to tolerate it and being able to play for increasing amounts of time before our fingers give out. That’s the good news. As we develop calluses and our muscles strengthen on our fingers, it does get easier. Not easy….. just easier! Way back in my college days when we’d have jam sessions in the dorm basement that sometimes went on for many hours I remember playing until my fingers bled. It seemed like some righteous passage or maybe the effects of too many beers had something to do with it, I can’t recall. In any case, as the years passed I learned to mitigate the pain to some extent, anyway. Correct technique had a lot to do with it. Arching the fingers on my left (fretting) hand and being sure to stay close to the frets resulted in not having to press down quite as hard to get clear, clean tone. To facilitate that, dropping and bending my wrist was essential and the “trick” of keeping the pad of my thumb parallel to my second finger regardless of where I was on the neck was a big help.Barre chords were another matter of course. I tell my students that it’s likely the best they can hope for is that their percentage of success with those damn things will increase. Keeping the wrist bent, forearm dropped (don’t rest your forearm on your leg!) and the pad of your thumb centered behind the neck, directly beneath the barring finger is essential. It still hurts, but not as much as if you insist on using the “baseball bat grip” and try to choke that poor guitar neck into submission! How about the other hand? Relaxation is the key. If you’re strumming with your thumb, brush the strings. Don’t tense up and bear down. If you aren’t getting enough volume and want to use a flat pick, hold it as loosely as possible. There are dozens of new pick designs with gripping surfaces or even holes in them to help you avoid dropping them. In fact, when I use standard flat picks such as the classic triangle ones from Fender I always drill a small hole through the center before use. This makes my grip more secure and allows my wrist and arm to relax, which is essential for fast playing. If you doubt this, put a pick between your thumb and index finger and squeeze. Feel what happens? Your whole arm tightens up, all the way to your shoulder. Playing fast becomes impossible. And what about the rest of your body? Does your back and shoulder hurt after playing for while? Posture and the correct chair are very important. Don’t slouch! (gee, I think my mom used to say that!). If you’re going to stand and play, be sure to carefully adjust the length of your guitar strap for ease of playing. Low slung guitars look cool, but wouldn’t you rather sound cool? And again, stand up straight! OK, enough with the mom lecture. Lastly, consider the guitar you’re playing. A student I had recently showed up for her first lesson with a very nice dreadnought size guitar that was altogether too big for her small frame.After a few lessons I had to break the news to her that the reason her shoulder hurt when she playing and she couldn’t arch her fingers correctly was not her fault. It was the fault of that huge guitar. She was committed to learning how to play and when she traded it in for a nice 000 size instrument things became much, much easier. Yes, it does hurt to play the guitar. But with a combination of correct technique and the right instrument its possible – probably, even – that you will get past it. Just be thankful that we don’t have to lie on our backs when we play. Although it worked for the legendary bass player James Jamerson. Look it up! Peace & good music, Gene

“Art is pain. We must suffer to create.” I read that somewhere many years ago. I think it was attributed to Michelangelo. If so, after he spent so long lying on his back painting the Sistine Chapel (which I saw not long ago) I guess he had a point! On a much, much smaller scale, we guitarists have to deal with pain just about from the first moment we pick up our instruments. It’s standard operating procedure, unfortunately, and every single student I’ve ever had complains about some sort of physical misery related to playing. The trick is learning how to deal with it. I can’t think of anything that prepares you for playing the guitar. None of us press down on sharp objects with the tips of our fingers on a regular basis, so those tender fingertips cry out for mercy. OK, and here’s the bad news: it never goes away! The best we can hope for is learning how to tolerate it and being able to play for increasing amounts of time before our fingers give out. That’s the good news. As we develop calluses and our muscles strengthen on our fingers, it does get easier. Not easy….. just easier! Way back in my college days when we’d have jam sessions in the dorm basement that sometimes went on for many hours I remember playing until my fingers bled. It seemed like some righteous passage or maybe the effects of too many beers had something to do with it, I can’t recall. In any case, as the years passed I learned to mitigate the pain to some extent, anyway. Correct technique had a lot to do with it. Arching the fingers on my left (fretting) hand and being sure to stay close to the frets resulted in not having to press down quite as hard to get clear, clean tone. To facilitate that, dropping and bending my wrist was essential and the “trick” of keeping the pad of my thumb parallel to my second finger regardless of where I was on the neck was a big help.Barre chords were another matter of course. I tell my students that it’s likely the best they can hope for is that their percentage of success with those damn things will increase. Keeping the wrist bent, forearm dropped (don’t rest your forearm on your leg!) and the pad of your thumb centered behind the neck, directly beneath the barring finger is essential. It still hurts, but not as much as if you insist on using the “baseball bat grip” and try to choke that poor guitar neck into submission! How about the other hand? Relaxation is the key. If you’re strumming with your thumb, brush the strings. Don’t tense up and bear down. If you aren’t getting enough volume and want to use a flat pick, hold it as loosely as possible. There are dozens of new pick designs with gripping surfaces or even holes in them to help you avoid dropping them. In fact, when I use standard flat picks such as the classic triangle ones from Fender I always drill a small hole through the center before use. This makes my grip more secure and allows my wrist and arm to relax, which is essential for fast playing. If you doubt this, put a pick between your thumb and index finger and squeeze. Feel what happens? Your whole arm tightens up, all the way to your shoulder. Playing fast becomes impossible. And what about the rest of your body? Does your back and shoulder hurt after playing for while? Posture and the correct chair are very important. Don’t slouch! (gee, I think my mom used to say that!). If you’re going to stand and play, be sure to carefully adjust the length of your guitar strap for ease of playing. Low slung guitars look cool, but wouldn’t you rather sound cool? And again, stand up straight! OK, enough with the mom lecture. Lastly, consider the guitar you’re playing. A student I had recently showed up for her first lesson with a very nice dreadnought size guitar that was altogether too big for her small frame.After a few lessons I had to break the news to her that the reason her shoulder hurt when she playing and she couldn’t arch her fingers correctly was not her fault. It was the fault of that huge guitar. She was committed to learning how to play and when she traded it in for a nice 000 size instrument things became much, much easier. Yes, it does hurt to play the guitar. But with a combination of correct technique and the right instrument its possible – probably, even – that you will get past it. Just be thankful that we don’t have to lie on our backs when we play. Although it worked for the legendary bass player James Jamerson. Look it up! Peace & good music, Gene